Karina B. Sterman

Karina represents businesses in employment litigation and disputes, from wage and hour class actions and representative PAGA actions to individual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, and other employment claims. She has expertise across a wide array of industries, including technology, real estate, warehousing and retail, professional services (legal, accounting, financial), and skilled trades. Her clients value her deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within each of these sectors.

While she regularly represents companies in litigation and adversarial proceedings, Karina leverages her significant experience as a litigator in “behind the scenes” counseling to help her clients avoid or efficiently resolve claims. Clients value her clear communication and praise her practical problem-solving skills.

Karina is a strategist who advises on wage and hour and other employment law compliance, drafts employment-related documents, assists with risky mass lay-offs and individual terminations, and engages in business-minded employment strategy.

When a business is ready to expand through acquisition or evolve through merging, Karina provides comprehensive employment law due diligence in the sale or purchase of companies, offering critical insights to both buyers and sellers. For buyers, her analysis identifies potential risks related to employment practices, enabling informed decision-making and risk mitigation. For sellers, Karina’s expertise helps uncover opportunities to strengthen employment practices, which can enhance the company’s value and appeal to prospective buyers. 

Karina is a published author, sought-after speaker, and an active member of the legal community. She volunteers her time to various legal organizations and has been consistently recognized by her peers as a Southern California Rising Star and Super Lawyer in the Employment Law category for two decades.

Representative Experience

• Tried numerous jury and bench trials and arbitrations for wrongful termination, age discrimination, disability discrimination, and sexual harassment.
• Litigated and favorably resolved numerous class actions and representative actions for unpaid wages, misclassification, overtime, missed rest and meal breaks, and resulting penalties.
• Obtained summary judgment and summary adjudication on behalf of employers, thereby minimizing potential damages and reducing her clients’ exposure at trial.
• Prepared and argued various matters on appeal, in state and federal courts, including obtaining reversal of a binding arbitration award and obtaining reversal of summary judgment for a plaintiff that turned into summary judgment for her client.
• Argued and won motions to compel arbitration in the employment context.
• Settled and resolved cases deemed “intractable” and “unsettlable” by judges and mediators.